Task № 2: face (Part 1)
"Did you remember, Gajeel?"
"Yeah".
"Then repeat, please!"
"Fuck…"
"Oh, really? Well, then let's rehearse it all over. I will be Queen. So after entering the room you will approach with polite easy smile on your face… this grin looks terrifying… that's not better… that's downright creepy, Gajeel! No!... Close up your lips! Fangs shouldn't be visible! Easy smile. It means your lips stretched just a little, edges of mouth slightly up, eyebrows aren't narrowing … Oh, God! This looks as someone unexpectedly stuck a spear into your ass. No! Both sides simultaneously … No!"
Iron Dragon Slayer stared at Pantherlily with one-sided grin on his face. It looked so mockingly, that Lily strongly suspected his partner was doing it on purpose. Or his face muscles just weren't able to produce anything beside grins, scowls and creepy grimaces. But this can be corrected, right?
They tried to correct it and tried again. Lily used everything he could think of, Gajeel's face made expression absolutely indescribable in decent language, and damn it, Dragon Slayer was trying! Pantherlily felt a fast approaching fit of uncontrollable fury.
"We are going to the Guild!" Exceed announced and Gajeel was happy to oblige. He was extremely fed up with all this ball's preparations and began considering to snatch some urgent mission from job request board and disappear in unknown direction for a couple of weeks.
Leaving his brooding companion to enjoy blissful break at his solitary table, Pantherlily flied to the bar. He needed to consult someone and as Miragane definitely had charming manners, her candidacy was first in his list. So he plopped his ass at bar counter and quickly explain his present difficulties. Help came immediately, but not from Mira. It was Laxus, who spoke first:
"Can strike him with lightning. You know if properly calculated, it can fix muscles in specific position for some time" he offered.
"Oh, I'd like to see that" Natsu eagerly joined. "Let's start!"
"Ehh…" Lily tried to interrupt.
"Metal Face stuck smiling with that creepy grin of his … hmm, safe option to scare off everyone in the Ball." Gray also somehow materialized from nowhere.
"Doesn't matter, let's start!"
"Ehh…"
"Guys, it's too much. Maybe we try enchantment first? What do you think, Lily?"
"Laxus's idea is much more fun!"
"We can vote!"
"Ehh…"
"By the way, where is Gajeel?"
Indeed, Iron Dragon Slayer wasn't at Guild Hall anymore.
When did he leave? Where did he go? It's only 5 days to the Ball!
Pantherlily felt crushing wave of panic.
Meanwhile somewhere not near the guild
She was humming softly totally happy to be here in this rich forest paradise.
Soft blanket under her legs, marvelous trees crowns shielding her from already strong sun, a little basket with her favorite snack, warm but not hot air, welcome solitude and book, oh this book, which she had found by mere chance and literally jumped from delight when she realized what exactly she had found.
Her first intention was to show it to Gajeel, but he was busy with exceed's ball preparation and she wasn't able to wait, curiosity and desire to discover more were eating her. So she decided to read it alone and, oh God, it was so captivating.
She was now half way through the book reading almost nonstop, coming in this quite forest's spot 3 day in a row.
Yesterday she even didn't show her nose in the guild, reading till darkness began creeping among trees. Today probably will be the same, Script Mage was completely engrossed. Book information was valuable, she doubted a lot of people possessed knowledge like that. But for her it was even more precious – it contained data which she knew he would be eager to know thus it gave her opportunity to spend some time with him, to get closer. The thought made her happy.
She hadn't heard noise of moving branches, footsteps or sudden pause of breath when the person, who had entered her secluded clearing, spotted her. She only had noticed that she isn't alone now when familiar beige trousers lowered themselves beside her and raising her eyes she saw the ever welcome face of Iron Dragon Slayer.
"Gajeel!"